FAQs
WATER
INSTALLATION
Regular testing by SA Water shows several Adelaide regions have exceeded the safe consumption guidelines – from the WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION and their STANDARDS of a class 3 carcinogen!
As outlined in a story on the 23rd of May 2011, in ‘The Advertiser’ (READ THE FULL STORY HERE) trihalomethanes are being detected at unacceptable levels. The Happy Valley reservoir failed these tests 30% of the time, and another reservoir in the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide has registered trihalomethane levels of 3 and a half times the recommended limit!
SO WHAT IS A TRIHALOMETHANE?… AND SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT DRINKING THEM?
- chloroform
- bromoform
- bromodichloromethane
- dibromochloromethane
These substances have been categorized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and they have acknowledged the potential risk of these chemicals to the health of humans. Although a cause-effect relationship is difficult to define in humans, these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer in animals.
A PURATAP WILL REMOVE OVER 99% OF TRIHALOMETHANES FROM YOUR WATER
The truth is, we don't know what these chemicals can do to our bodies. Particularly with exposure over a long period. The best way to put your mind at ease? Get a Puratap!
With only an annual filter change, your Puratap GI-2600 water filter can remove over 99% of these potential cancer-causing chemicals from your water.
In South Australia, our drinking water comes from a variety of sources. It is a combination of seawater, groundwater, and surface water, however, the majority comes from the Murray River. This water is stored in reservoirs around the state and then processed in water treatment plants to make it safe for consumption. As an example, a large majority of the Southern Adelaide metropolitan area is supplied by the Happy Valley Reservoir and treatment plant (SA water sustainability report 2007). In SA we use a variety of methods for water treatment, but all metropolitan and most rural plants use chlorination and chloramination to disinfect the water (SA water drinking water quality report 08-09).
The truth is, we don’t always know! Depending on the weather, the time of year, and how far away you live from the water treatment plants, the contents and amounts of different undissolved particles and chemicals in your water can change from day to day. Even the plumbing and age of your house can affect what is in your water.
In South Australia, our drinking water is susceptible to contamination from iron, manganese, coliforms, cryptosporidium, giardia, nitrates, and pesticides (SA drinking water report; ADWQG). We also know that the process of chlorination creates byproducts called trihalomethanes which are present in the water.
A Puratap has been scientifically proven to remove a significant number of chemicals from your water, including 99.9% of the chemicals listed below. Testing from the Australian Water Quality Centre has certified that a Puratap can remove chlorine, chloroform, herbicides, pesticides and trihalomethanes amongst other things. Our pre-sediment filter will also remove dust, algae, rust and other undissolved particles. We dont want to bore you, and to be honest, the testing results are hard to read! But if you have more questions please call us and we can make sure we give you the information you require.
THE PURATAP GI-2600
The Puratap GI-2600 water filter, fitted with our high quality double o’ring sealed filters, is able to remove a significant number of contaminants from your water. So what can a Puratap water filter remove, and should you be worried about having these things in your water?
The government does its best to supply us with good quality drinking water, and considering what they have to start with, they do a great job. The Australian drinking water guidelines, a document prepared by the Australian Government, have shown that there are many class 1, class 2, and class 3 carcinogens present in our water (Australian Drinking Water guidelines 6, 2004 from the National Water Quality Management strategy). Class 1 carcinogens are substances that are known to cause cancer in humans. Some of which have been found in domestic water supplies! Class 2 carcinogens are substances that they suspect cause cancer but are not sure about yet and class 3 carcinogens are things that they don’t know yet what small exposures over a long period could do to our body (AWQG Part v physical and chemical and IARC Agents classified by IARC monographs volumes 1-100).
The International Agency of Research on cancer recognizes the need for disinfection of drinking water, but does raise some serious concerns about the consequences of chlorination by-products, like trihalomethanes, which have been shown to pose a health risk when present in water supplies! (WHO/IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk to humans, volume 52).
Trihalomethanes are by-products of chlorination that occur when the chlorine added to water reacts with organic matter present in the water, such as rust and dirt. Trihalomethane is a name for a group of chemicals including chloroform (a previously used anesthetic) and bromoform (previously used as a sedative and flame retardant). A great deal of research has been performed into the potential risk of ingestion of trihalomethanes and many studies have concerning reports. Ingestion of trihalomethanes in drinking water by humans has been linked to colon cancer (Kuo 2011, King 2000), rectal cancer (Kuo 2010, Bove 2007a, Gottleib 1982), pancreatic cancer (Chiu 2010), bladder cancer (Villanueva 2009; Bove 2007b, Villanueva 2007, Villanueva 2006, Villaneuva 2004, Villanueva 2001).
So why take the risk!
Puratap is designed, tooled, made, and distributed by Australians for Australian Conditions
If it doesn’t have the BIG RED W don’t install it in your home! The Puratap GI-2600 water filter is one of the strongest units that you can buy. It has been tested and the results show that it starts strong and stays strong! It has also been awarded a Watermark level 1 certification!
You don’t have to take our word for it though, have a look at Puratap’s independent testing proving how strong our GI-2600 is!
- Puratap GI-2600 Australian standards watermark level 1 certificate.pdf
- Puratap GI-2600 unit testing for ASNZS 3497.pdf
- Puratap GI2600 warranty.pdf
We have done a comparison for you….
| Industry Standard | Puratap | |
| Does it need a Pressure limiting valve? | Yes | No, |
| How much pressure can it stand? | 600 kPa (88 PSI) | 4500 kPa (650 PSI) |
| What is it made of? | Polypropylene | Polyacetal |
| Is it likely to creep? | Yes, a lot! | Yes, minimally. |
| How thick is the tubing? | 1mm | 2mm |
* ‘Industry standard’ values are representative of observations of parts used by the majority of water filter companies, and the testing levels required to meet Australian Standards (AS/NZS 3497).
* Puratap figures provided are on new, nonfatiguing housings (GI-2600 water filter). In cases of exceptional water pressure, or with nonstandard plumbing fittings, a PLV may be required.
Creep is a term used to describe the phenomenon of solid material changing shape over time. All materials will creep, particularly if it is ‘screwed’ and exposed to constant pressure, but some are more susceptible than others.
Polypropylene is highly susceptible to creep, whereas polyacetal (used in the manufacture of the Puratap GI-2600 water filter) is highly resistant to creep.
It is something that you should worry about. This phenomenon of polypropylene creeping is what allows water filter units to leak and occasionally burst!
All water filters must be tested to withstand pressure. Otherwise, it is not legal to install them in Australian homes. If a unit is damaged when exposed to the pressure of 1200 kPa or lower, it is a legal requirement that a PLV is fitted.
Puratap has been independently tested to be able to withstand the pressure of 3500 kPa without a PLV. This is the limit of testing that is performed under Australian Standards certification. We have tested it ourselves to withstand even higher pressure without showing any signs of weakness, but all you need to know is that with a Puratap GI-2600 water filter unit and its 10-year warranty you can have peace of mind!
We are serious when we say that we want all South Australians to have clean, filtered drinking water. There is no job too hard to get a Puratap installed! There are some houses however that are harder than your average installation. Don’t worry, you can still have a Puratap! We simply need to send a different plumber to do the job! We have a crew of specially trained plumbers that can arrange installation with difficult or out of the ordinary plumbing, make sure you explain this to our consultants when you call to make sure that we send out the right plumber and he is well equipped to perform your job.
When our plumber comes to install your Puratap he will help you choose the best place to put it so that you can take advantage of the handy three hundred and sixty-degree rotation.
The Puratap installer always carries all three, so you can decide which one you prefer on the day.
Even though Puratap parts are the best on the market, like our superior brass ball valve and plastic connector that’s resistant to zinc chloride, there are factors that can cause greening or corroding of the ball valve, that are beyond our control. For example, where water is slightly alkaline, or heavily charged with iron, or where a home is not perfectly earthed, all of these factors can contribute to corrosion to parts of the plumbing system. And this can occur in new homes, just as easily as older ones.
So what can Puratap do to help? Well, appreciating that you have the best system on the market with the highest quality, most expensive brass ball valve in place, Puratap will send a qualified plumber at no charge, all you pay is the cost price for the ball valve. It’s a service we offer to our valued customers who are having trouble with plumbing corrosion.
If you spot greening of your ball valve, the problem is quite urgent, so call us straight away. While we’re there, we’ll do a thorough check under your kitchen sink, to make sure everything’s in order and working the way it should be.
Because we want our customers to have the strongest possible product, Puratap has invested millions of dollars in research and development, to create plumbers parts, well above the industry standard. As matter of fact, Puratap is the only company in Australia to have Australian standards approval to fit our units without a pressure limiting valve and that’s because the unit is far stronger than competitors units. At Puratap, we are so confident in the durability of our design and components, Puratap offers a superior product and warranty for the same price of other water filters of lesser quality. So why pay the same for less?
A Puratap unit is made from an engineering grade polyactel plastic, which is much stronger and more reliable than other units; most of our competitors’ units are made from much softer polypropylene plastic which gets weaker as it ages. Every time you turn on the tap from one of these units, the plastic stretches a little, meaning that eventually, the filters wont fit snuggly into the unit effectively and unfiltered water can bypass the filters, through the gaps.
Puratap tubing is much thicker and along with our Jaco fitting, can withstand a much higher operating pressure and Puratap ball valve fitting which is resistant to corrosion, along with its upgraded connector, make a pair with superior strength and reliability.
So weigh it up …. buy a competitor’s filter and you’ll need to get a new unit every 3-5 years… or for the same price, get a Puratap one with a 10 year guarantee? The truth is, there’s really no competition.
In most cases we can install one for you tomorrow! The installation will usually less than half an hour, often only 15 minutes, and you can be drinking great filtered water that day! Call one of our consultants on 133 502 and they will let you know how soon we can get a plumber out to your house!
This is a question that we get asked a lot! We don’t want you to lose your precious cupboard space so we have made the unit as small as possible. Here is a list of dimensions that you may be wondering about:
- Puratap Unit: 30cm (height) x 25cm (width) x 12cm (depth).
- Standard Tap: 22 cm (height) x 15cm (reach) x 2cm (width at base) x 1cm (width at spout).
- Mark II Tap: 22 cm (height) x 15cm (reach) x 4cm (width at base) x 1cm (width at spout).
- Imperial Tap: 30 cm (height) x 12 cm (reach) x 4xm (width at base) x 1cm (width at spout).
- Mixer Tap: 17 cm (height) x 30 cm (reach) x 5 cm (width).
- Hole in the Sink: 13mm diameter.
We aim to please and we want happy customers! So we have recently introduced a new mixer tap. It is in its infancy and has been very popular so we are selling out, but call us today on 133 502 and we can discuss your tap options!
The very popular mixer tap allows you to have beautifully filtered water on tap, without having an extra tap on your sink! It has a mixer handle on top for you mains fed hot and cold water, in addition to a dial for filtered water which is fed through a separate line into the tap so that it is not contaminated with unfiltered tap water.
Yes, generally speaking we can install in these harder stone benchtops. The plumber will need to have specific masonry drill bits to install the tap through these stones though so please make sure you discuss this with our consultant when booking your installation so that we can make sure the plumber is properly equipped when he comes to your home.
Yes, although it does depend on what water supply the boat or caravan will be using. If you will be using mains water connections for the water supply then that is fine!
Yes! Our licensed plumbers are more than happy to come and install a unit for you on a Saturday. Call 133 502 and our consultants can advise you the next Saturday we are in your area. What about filter changes? We understand how busy our customers are! We are more than happy to arrange your filter change on a Saturday with one of our plumbers, for a small call out fee. Unfortunately for this we are unable to charge the loyalty price that we can on a weekday when we do everyone in your street on the same day.
Even if you live outside the Adelaide metropolitan area you can still have a Puratap! We can post a unit out to you for your local plumber to install. We can then make sure that you are always drinking clean filtered water by posting you a new set of filters for your annual filter change when they’re due to be replaced.
Of course! Peace of mind with good quality drinking water is a great present for a loved one. We can either arrange for a gift voucher to be sent to that person, or, if you have access to their house we can arrange an install with you for a surprise! Call our consultants on 133 502 to discuss your options.
If you are renting a property, you can still have a Puratap! You own your Puratap and you can take it with you where ever you go! The landlord loves it because you are improving their property and adding value to it … so even though you take your Puratap to your new place, you’re leaving the highest quality plumbing products behind under the kitchen sink. If they’re worried about the hole left in the sink, Puratap caps the sink so that no damage is done. Then, its Puratap ready for the next tenant to move in… fitting the Puratap with no plumber required.
FILTER CHANGE
After your filter change, you will probably notice some ‘black stuff’ coming from the Puratap, along with some spluttering and a lot of air bubbles. Don’t worry, this is normal!
First, let's talk about the black stuff. This is carbon, a remnant of the manufacturing process is that inside our granulated carbon filter, there will usually be a fine layer of carbon dust. You don’t need to worry about this, it isn’t harmful. But if you run your tap for a minute this dust should clear.
The milky appearance the water can have after the carbon has cleared is millions of tiny air bubbles which fill the tiny gaps that trap the chemicals. When water is first introduced into the filter, it forces these tiny air bubbles out. This is an important process as the water needs to touch the carbon to be effectively filtered, so all this air must be removed. Running the tap for approximately 3 minutes should clear these bubbles.
We hear this a lot! A year goes by before we even realize it! At Puratap our consultants call with enough notice to make sure that you can have your filters changed within 12 months of your last filter change or installation date. This is the maximum time that the filters can work effectively and ensures you always have fresh clean drinking water and remain on our Puratap loyalty program! They will always offer you the next time that we will have a serviceman in your area which may be the next day or within the week for your convenience. But not to worry! If this day is no good, we can find another time for you, we have dates up to 8 weeks ahead available at any time.
The filters in your Puratap need changing every 12 months or 2000L of water, whichever comes first! Our filters have been put through rigorous scientific testing to find the optimal and safest time to change them. After 12 months or 2000L of water, larger chemicals such as trihalomethanes and herbicides can bypass the carbon in the filter, meaning that it is no longer filtering effectively. Therefore 12 months is the maximum time to leave the filters in your unit.
After 12 months, the food-grade glue that holds the filters together will also start to lose its binding ability. Don’t believe companies that tell you that our glue breaks down in the water and contaminates it. This is a lie that we take very seriously. We use food-grade glue so we don’t put chemicals back into your filtered water! It simply starts to become less ‘sticky’ meaning that with the pressure of the water the end caps can come loose. Water will take the path of least resistance so shoot through these holes and straight into your cup, without being filtered!
Yes, of course! You are always welcome to call us. We have a team of trained consultants ready to take your call and answer all your questions. We endeavor to call all our customers when their filters are due to be changed but sometimes we have trouble catching you by phone. If you think your filters need changing, please don’t hesitate to give us a call!
Puratap has recently designed high-quality tubing with thick walls which are highly resistant to breakage. If you have had your unit installed since 2009 you will already have this tubing. In our older units, you will have our previous tubing. Although this is still a high-quality product, to increase the safety of the unit we recommend upgrading to our newer tubing for peace of mind and a new 3-year warranty!
Puratap units filter water by adsorption of chemicals to the activated carbon. Fluoride is a mineral so is not attracted to the carbon in the filters in the same way that a chemical will be. This isn’t unique to our filters, no carbon filter will be able to remove fluoride (Konno et al 2008), so don’t believe a company who says that theirs will.
To keep the prices for filter changes as low as possible we have streamlined the filter change process. To this end, the serviceman needs to take the unit out to his van where he has a specially designed setup to change the filters as efficiently as possible. If you want to see what is happening please ask the serviceman to watch him changing them in his van! He will be more than happy to let you watch and you will be amazed at what they can do in 5 minutes.
Often, the filters won't appear ‘dirty’. The carbon filter is black- so you won't see anything there, but the sediment filter is white. Sometimes, if your pipes are particularly old and rusty, or if you have had a lot of construction or road works in your area there may be visible dirt or rust on the sediment filter. Generally, though, the smaller organic compounds aren’t visible and chlorine in the water acts as a bleach and removes any color from the filters.
Yes, you are welcome to come into our office and buy the filters yourself. But why would you, when you can have one of our trained servicemen come out and do it for you for the same price!
What about buying filters from the local hardware store? The truth here is that they won't work in our unit. We have designed our double ‘o’ ring seal screw-in end caps for our filters for a reason. It works better! We want to ensure that you have the best quality drinking water and the best quality filters! So what about the filters from the hardware store? Why won't they work? The design of our unit is to eliminate any possibility of water being able to squeeze past the filters without running through them. If you put a set of open-ended filters designed for lesser quality units into our unit this is exactly what will be happening!
Why get your hands dirty? We are the experts at filter changes and we have a great price. It makes sense to let us do it for you!
Blog
